Wilmington man charged in connection to August Dover shooting

An 18-year-old Wilmington man has been charged in connection to an August shooting that injured a 26-year-old woman, Dover Police announced Monday.

According to authorities, Zion Saunders was developed as the suspect in an August 11, 2019, shooting along the unit block of South New Street around 2:45 a.m. A female victim suffered a graze wound to her lower body in that incident, and two homes were struck by gunfire.

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Saunders was observed in the area of South New and Reed streets around 8:30 p.m. on Friday, September 6, and police attempted to stop him, they said. He led authorities on a pursuit that ended when officers deployed "stop sticks" which blew out Saunders tires, authorities said, though he attempted to physically resist his arrest following the stop.

Saunders was charged with disregarding police officer signal, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, several traffic offenses, and released on an own recognizance bond in connection to the pursuit and arrest. He was additionally charged with second-degree assault, two counts possession of a firearm/ammo by a person prohibited, 12 counts reckless endangering, and two counts criminal mischief, in connection to the shooting incident and committed to the Sussex Correctional Institution in lieu of $26,100 cash bond.